Venetian blind



Nov. 14, 1967 P. J. HENNEQUIN VENETIAN BLIND Filed Nov. 50, 1964 INVENTOR erua :Yot'annee [Mannequin 10, ATTORNES United States Patent O 3,352,349 VENETIAN BLIND Petrus J. Hennequin, Rotterdam, Netherlands, assignor to Hunter Douglas International Ltd., Montreal, Quebec, Canada, a corporation of Quebec Filed Nov. 30, 1964, Ser. No. 414,637 Claims priority, application Netherlands, Dec. 17, 1963, 301,963 3 Claims. (Cl. 160-171) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A Venetian blind of the type wherein an operating shaft simultaneously rotates and moves axially in order to wind or unwind a lift cord about its circumference whereby slats carried by said cord are raised or lowered, respectively, and wherein ladder means for tilting the slats rotate together with said shaft for a limited extent just sufficient to effect the required amount of tilting of said slats, said ladder means being fixedly secured along its length in a carrier member which is mounted on said shaft in a manner whereby it is rotatively carried by said shaft so as to rotate therewith to a predetermined extent and whereby beyond said extent of rotation the carrier member may be rotatively stopped without impeding further rotation of the shaft, a novel means being provided for restricting rotative movement of the carrier member as well as movement thereof in an axial direction without impeding rotation or axial movement of said shaft.

This invention relates to an improved arrangement for carrier cord means in a Venetian blind of the type wherein an operating shaft rotates and simultaneously moves axially in order to wind or unwind thereon a lift cord means thereby raising or lowering the slats which are carried by said lift cord means.

In such blinds the carrier cord means rotates with the shaft only to the extent necessary to effect the maximum tilting of the slats, and beyond said extent, the shaft must be free to continue rotating and moving axially independently of the carrier means. The carrier means, therefore, must rotate only to a limited extent with the shaft and it is preferred that the carrier means not perform any axial movement at all along its rotational axis. The provision of an effective means whereby rotation and axial movement of the carrier member could be realized in an effective, simple, and inexpensive manner has, however, constituted a diflicult problem, and this invention is directed to the resolution thereof.

In this regard, it should be noted that the carrier member can either be directly mounted on the shaft or indirectly through the medium of an intermediate member.

An object of this invention is the provision of a simple stop means whereby the carrier member is free to rotate in either of two directions up to a certain point and is then stopped against rotational as Well as against axial movement in either direction.

A further object is the provision of a novel arrangement whereby the lift cord means and the ladder cord means can be arranged closely adjacent to each other without interfering with each other.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a novel arrangement whereby the lift cord means and the ladder cord means can be supported from the operating shaft at points thereon closely adjacent to the bearing support for said shaft.

Other objects are those which are inherent in the disclosure herein.

Since known ladder cord carriers or ladder tape carriers have only been arranged in a slightly clamping manner on the operating shaft of the Venetian blind or on a member mounted thereon, they run the risk of being moved in axial direction on the operating shaft or on the member arranged thereon. This is avoided by the Venetian blind according to the invention in that on either side of each carrier an abutment has been provided which prevents a lateral movement of said carrier.

A simple embodiment of the Venetian blind according to the invention is characterized in that in the area of a carrier a bearing for the operating shaft of the Venetian blind has been provided, said bearing comprising a transverse slot of which the side walls serve as abutments preventing a lateral movement of said carrier. This lateral slot also allows the ladder cords or ladder tapes to be passed therethrough.

According to the invention each carrier may consist of an open ring having side flanges, between which flanges a radial projection has been provided, said flanges being locally raised on either side of said projection, the raised portions being interconnected by crosspieces or dams, all this in such manner that the ladder cord or ladder tape, after having been passed between the flanges, under the crosspieces and over the radial projection, is locked against sliding movement.

Since the carriers are onlyallowed to rotate through an angie which corresponds with the angle through which the lamellae of a Venetian blind may be tilted, each bearing may, according to the invention, be provided with one or more parts serving as abutments, said part or parts cO-operating with the raised portions or other projections of the corresponding ladder cord carrier or ladder tape carrier.

The invention will be further explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings showing by way of example a portion of a Venetian blind according to the invention.

FIG. 1 shows this portion of the Venetian blind in perspective, a portion of the wall of the head rail of this Venetian blind having been broken away.

FIG. 2 shows a ladder cord carrier in perspective.

FIG. 3 shows a bearing in perspective, in which figure for the sake of clarity the parts constituting said bearing are shown in an exploded view.

Of the Venetian blind shown in the drawings only those parts have been drawn which are essential for understanding the invention. The parts which are not shown may be constructed in any way known per se.

As is apparent from FIG. 1, the Venetian blind shown in the drawings comprises the head rail 1 of which part of the erect wall has been broken away in order to show clearly the construction of the Venetian blind. In this head rail 1 an operating shaft 2 has been arranged which is rotatably and slidably mounted in bearings of which only one bearing is shown. This bearing consists of two main parts, namely an upper part 3 and a lower part 4 which are in engagement with one another. For this purpose they are provided with projections 5, 6 and 7.

The lower part 4 comprises two rod-like projections 8 and 9 and a pin 10 arranged thereinbetween, said pin being split at its front end. The split portions diverge somewhat. On the projections 8 and 9 and the pin 10 there are arranged two small plates forming a partition 11 and an end wall 12 so that separated slots are formed allowing ladder cords 13 and a lift cord 14 to be passed therethrough. As is apparent from FIG. 1, said lift cord 14 is wound on or unwound from the operating shaft 2 when said shaft is rotated in one or the other direction.

On said operating shaft 2 there is arranged in a slightly clamping manner a lift cord carrier 15 having the shape of an open ring with side flanges 16, 17 and consisting of nylon or some other resilient synthetic material. Between said side flanges 16, 17 there is located a radial projection 18. The side flanges 16, 17 are raised on either side of the projection 18, the raised portions being connected by crosspieces or dams 19, 20. The end of one of the ladder cords 13 has been passed under said crosspieces or dams 19, 20 and over the projection 18 so that this end is non-slidably held in the carrier 15. The end portion of said ladder cord projecting outside the carrier 15 may be connected with the other ladder cord.

The cross-pieces or dams 19, 20 constitute raised portions which co-operate with the pin which serves also as an abutment, the raised portion 19 or the raised portion 20 coming into contact with said pin 10 according to the direction of rotation of the operating shaft 2. Since the carrier is mounted in a slightly clamping manner on the operating shaft 2, said carrier may be only rotated together with the operating shaft Zruntil one of the raised portions 19, comes into contact with the pin 10. In this position of the carrier the lamellae (not shown) have been thereby rotated so far that the Venetian blind is closed. However, the rotating shaft 2 may also be further rotated after the carrier is held, since the clamping force, exercised by the carrier 15 on the operating shaft, is only small and may be easily overcome.

The carrier 15 is arranged in the slot formed between the partition 11 and the opposite wall of the under part 4 of the bearing 3, 4. Consequently said carrier cannot move in a lateral direction.

I claim:

1. A Venetian blind comprising an operating shaft which is rotatable and simultaneously axially displaceable for winding and unwinding thereon a lift cord means for raising and lowering the slats of the blind, a ladder carrier member resiliently gripping the surface of said shaft with a frictional fit therebetween, said carrier memher having ladder means secured thereto for tilting the slats of the blind pursuant to rotation of said member, a radially protruding abutment means integralwith said member, a first fixed abutment means located in the rotative path of the radially protruding abutment means and engageable therewith for stopping rotation of said carrier member in either of opposite directions, a second fixed abutment means comprising a partition and a wall member respectively facing the respective opposite axial ends of said carrier member and engageable therewith for restricting axial movement of said member in either axial direction, said first and second fixed abutment means comprising a unitary assembly of parts with said first abutment means extending axially between said partition and a wall member and being connected thereto, the frictional fit between said member and said shaft being such that said shaft can rotate and move axial-1y independently of said carrier member when the latter is stopped by virtue of said member engaging said fixed abutment means, and said frictional fit being such, that said member is carried along by said shaft when said member is free of said first fixed abutment means.

2. The Venetian blind of claim 1, including a fixed bearing for said shaft, said bearing having a base which is supported in the top rail of said blind, said 'base including a bearing portion which rotatively supports said shaft and a second portion extending axially from said bearing portion, said second portion and said bearing portion defining said partition and wall member axially spaced apart relative to the axis of said shaft and defining therebetween a recess extending transversely to said axis, said carrier member fitting therebetween, said first abutment means being located in said recess.

3. The Venetian blind of claim 2, said second por tion defining a second recess adjacent to the first mentioned recess, a lift cord Wound on said shaft and extending downwardly through said second recess to the slats of the blind.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,561,371 7/1951 Hill 24129 2,877,527 3/1959 Bond 24129 X 3,289,739 12/1966 Hansel 179 UNITED STATES PATENTS 628,868 2/ 1963 Belgium. 1,215,346 11/1959 France.

671,726 5/1952 Great Britain.

DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, PETER M. CAUN,

Examiners. 

1. A VENETIAN BLIND COMPRISING AN OPERATING SHAFT WHICH IS ROTATABLE AND SIMULTANEOUSLY AXIALLY DISPLACEABLE FOR WINDING AND UNWINDING THEREON A LIFT CORD MEANS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING THE SLATS OF THE BLIND, A LADDER CARRIER MEMBER RESILIENTLY GRIPPING THE SURFACE OF SAID SHAFT WITH A FRICTIONAL FIT THEREBETWEEN, SAID CARRIER MEMBER HAVING LADDER MEANS SECURED THERETO FOR TILTING THE SLATS OF THE BLIND PURSUANT TO ROTATION OF SAID MEMBER, A RADIALLY PROTRUDING ABUTMENT MEANS INTEGRAL WITH SAID MEMBER, A FIRST FIXED ABUTMENT MEANS LOCATED IN THE ROTATIVE PATH OF THE RADIALLY PROTRUDING ABUTMENT MEANS AND ENGAGEABLE THEREWITH FOR STOPPING ROTATION OF SAID CARRIER MEMBER IN EITHER OF OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, A SECOND FIXED ABUTMENT MEANS COMPRISING A PARTITION AND A WALL MEMBER RESPECTIVELY FACING THE RESPECTIVE OPPOSITE AXIAL ENDS OF SAID CARRIER MEMBER AND ENGAGEABLE THEREWITH FOR RESTRICTING AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID MEMBER IN EITHER AXIAL DIRECTION, SAID FIRST AND SECOND FIXED ABUTMENT MEANS COMPRISING A UNITARY ASSEMBLY OF PARTS WITH SAID FIRST ABUTMENT MEANS EXTENDING AXIALLY BETWEEN SAID PARTITION AND A WALL MEMBER AND BEING CONNECTED THERETO, THE FRICTIONAL FIT BETWEEN SAID MEMBER AND SAID SHAFT BEING SUCH THAT SAID SHAFT CAN ROTATE AND MOVE AXIALLY INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID CARRIER MEMBER WHEN THE LATTER IS STOPPED BY VIRTUE OF SAID MEMBER ENGAGING SAID FIXED ABUTMENT MEANS, AND SAID FRICTIONAL FIT BEING SUCH THAT SAID MEMBER IS CARRIED ALONG BY SAID SHAFT WHEN SAID MEMBER IS FREE OF SAID FIRST FIXED ABUTMENT MEANS. 